Electrolyte for electrolytic condensers



J. SLEPIAN.

ELECTROLYTE FOH ELECTROLYTIC CONDENSE-HS. APPLICATION FILED 1AN."6,1919.

1,326,297. Patented Dee. 30,1919K wlNEssEs; INVENTOR dosqo /ep/n.

ATT'ORNEY y UNITED sTATEs PATENT onirica.

JOSEPH SLEPIAN, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHCUSEELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OIE' PENNSYLVANIA..

ELECTROLYTE FOR ELECTROLYTIC CONDENSERS.

Application led January 16, 1519. Serial No.v 271,466.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that'I, JOSEPH SLEPIAN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrolytesfor Electrolytic Condensers, of which the following is a specification.Y

My invention relates to electrolytes for use in electrolytic cells, suchas` lightning arresters, condensers, rectiiiers and the like, and it hasfor its object to provide an electrolyte which shall be capable ofacting upon hlm-forming metals, such as aluminum, ma nesium and thelike, to produce plates of iigh electric capacity and to provide theplates with asymmetric 'conducting films of great endurance 4whensubjected to potentials of considerable magnitude for long periods oftime.

Electrolytes for use in cells of the above indicated character mayconsist of aqueous solutions of 'various substances, the value of suchsubstances for this purpose being determined by the electricalcharacteristics which they impart to the cells, among which are thecapacity of the active plates, the endurance of the films upon theplates, the

power losses in the cells and the voltages which the films willwithstand without rupture.

I have found that an electrolyte comprising lan aqueous solution of analuminate of an alkali earth metal, such as sodium aluminate orpotassium aluminate forms a ver'y satisfactory electrolyte forcondensers, lightning arresters, rectifiers and the like, I have alsofound that a relatively dilute solution rives the best results.

The single igure of the drawin discloses a conventional form of electroytic condenser comprisin a container 1 for the electrolyte 2 in w ichare disposed the electrodes 3.

In practising my invention, the sodium aluminate solution may beprepared in any suitable manner andthe solution so prepared may beemployed to form asymmetric conducting lms upon electrodes of suitablehlm-forming metals in the usual manner. If aluminum is the metalemployed in the electrodes, an exceptionally strong film may beprovided,'as the passage of a suitable electrical current between theelectrodes, through the electrolyte, will lcause the A193 ions to passto the aluminum plates where they will combine directly with thealuminum of the plates to form the desired lms pi" A1203.

An electrolyte of this character, when employed in condensers, lightningarresters, rectiiers and similar cells, is characterized by its lowdeterioratin effect upon the active plates of the cells, y the highcapacit of the active platesand by the rapidity with which the films areformed upon the plates and are 'reformed after being ruptured., Thelatter property renders these electrolytes particularly well suited forelectrolytic lightning arresters, since the cells are quicklyy restoredto their normal condition after the ilms are ruptured by reason oflightning discharges.

Electrolytes of this character may be used both for initiall formingasymmetric iilms upon plates to e used in electrolytic cells and for thecontinuous operation of such cells, or both. The films formed by theiremployment have a high break-down volt-s age, being capable ofwithstanding over 500 volts. l

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented, Da, 3Q), 1939,

As an aqueous solution of sodium alumii nate will deteriorate whenexposed to carbon dioxid, the electrolyte is preferably pro'- vided withan air-excluding covering or seal which may be in the nature of a thinlayer or film of oil oated upon its surface.

Any desired method of forming the so dium aluminate solution may beemployed and various means may be resorted to, to protect it from airwhen it is employed in electrolytic cells. For this reason, nolimitations are to be imposed upon my invention other than thoseindicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: l

1., An electrolyte for condensers, lightning arresters, rectifiersandthe like comprising an aqueous solution of an aluminate of vanalkali-earth metal.

2. An electrolyte for condensers, lightning arresters, rectifers and thelike comprising an aqueous solution of sodium aluminate.

3. An electrolyte for condensers, lightaluminate hailing its surfacecovered by a ning arresters, rectifiers and the like comlm of oil.

prising a dilute aqueous solution of sodium I-n testimony whereof, Ihave hereunto 10 illuminate. subscribed my name this 27th day of Dec., 54. An electrolyte for condensers, light- 1918.

ning arresters, rectiers and the like comprising a dilute aqueoussolution of sodium JOSEPH SLEPIAN.

